The Sorting

Every child boarded the Hogwarts Express, waving to their parents and saying their goodbyes before they enter the school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For a tired little 11 years old Aisling, she never got to wave goodbye to her parents as the train left off for Hogwarts. Aisling already found a compartment and decided to take a nap, thankfully, she was already in her robes and her luggage was safe and sound in the compartment. Nymphadora waved goodbye to her parents and entered the compartment, smiling down at the sleeping Aisling.

"Mum and her constant need to wake you up at four in the morning..." Nymphadora whispered, playing with her Hufflepuff robes and her prissy bubblegum pink hair tied up in two pigtails. Nymphadora lifted Aisling's head slowly, and then rested it when she got the chance to sit down. The ride to Hogwarts was going to be very long and Nymphadora new that for a seven-year fact.

Aisling and Nymphadora were split up, firstly because Aisling was a first year and Nymphadora was seventh year, first years had to take boats and the seventh years rode to the castle in horseless carriages. A large man with a scruffy beard and big black beady eyes held a lamp in his large hand and used his free hand to wave the first years to where he was.

"Right, firs' years, follow me and watch yeh step." His large muffled voice made Aisling want to giggle, except she held her breath and did what the rest of the first years do, she followed the big man with the lamp. Slowly in the darkness, a voice was loud in her ear.

"So, what house do you think you'll be in?" she asked, Aisling turned her head to catch a curly haired blonde staring at her with boredom glinting in her eyes. Aisling shrugged her shoulders and repeated the question with the blonde. The blonde shrugged her small shoulders in her black robes and said:

"Probably Ravenclaw, my whole family has been in that house since the dawn of our lineage." She whispered. They came to a pitch black lake, the giant man stopped to stand in front of the first years, his beady eyes glinting from the lamp's light.

"A'right firs' years, this is how we get to Hogwarts. Now the boats yeh see, only carry five youngsters, so two of yeh, will be comin' with me," His voice turned into a low bellow. Aisling looked over to the blonde who returned the look of I'm going with the big guy Aisling nodded and they both went into the boat with the big man in it.

"A'right off us goes!" And each boat started to move. Aisling and the blonde stared up at the castle with both curious and impatient eyes. The big man cleared his throat and decided to spring up a conversation with the two girls.

"Hagrid's the name, and yeh two are?" The blonde tilted her head as a signal for Aisling to speak first, Aisling cleared her throat and gave a weak smile up at Hagrid. "Aisling Tonks, it's nice to meet you Hagrid." She reached out to shake his hand, but her hand disappeared by his massive one. "Are yeh Nymphadora's sister?" he asked his eyes squinting in the dark. All Aisling did was nod with a bit of a stronger smile and hoped he would let go of her hand. "And yeh?" He said gesturing to the blonde. The blonde turned her head, her long curls falling off her shoulders. She sighed and answered: "Ramona Nave." She turned her head back towards the castle, fortunately not noticing the whispers Hagrid gave Aisling. "The whole Nave family are a bunch of grumps. Best stay on their goo' side," he said giving Aisling a wink. Aisling gave him a warm smile and looked back at the castle, which came into full view now that the boats landed on the shore. Hagrid stepped out of the boat first with the lamp still gripped firmly in his hand. The rest of the first years stepped off the boats and crowded around Hagrid followed by Aisling and Ramona.

"Welcome firs' years to Hogwarts. No better school with no better headmaster. Follow me and stay together, this school is big so yeh probably get lost on the firs' nigh' and none of us want tha' now do we?" Hagrid gave put a warning glare and started stomping up these large stone steps up to the castle.

The children ended up in front of the school's doors, all the children squished together in the courtyard. A tall, thin lady with black hair tied up in a tight bun stepped out into the courtyard in her emerald green robes with a piece of parchment rolled up in her hand.

"First years follow me!" Her voice had a strict tone to it, but a sense of gentle kindness hid behind it's austere. The children in the courtyard did as the lady commanded, shuffling into the hallway and then finally past the giant doors, marching down in the middle of the house seats, the first years were all given some sort of look from the other students, no matter what the look was. The woman stopped the children, and walked up to a stool with a very old wizard hat with patches and dust on it.

"All students of Hogwarts welcome to the sorting!" She sang to the rows of children, each cheering and clapping. The woman cut the students cheers off and unrolled the piece of parchment.

"Buns, Audrey" she called upon the first years. A small plump blonde stepped out of the crowd, ushering towards the stool. The hat was alive, a mouth appeared from its lips as it discussed the house that young Audrey was about to be put in.

"GRYFFINDOR!" it yelled out amongst the hall.

After long minutes of going through first year after first year, with Ramona being put in Ravenclaw (as she predicted) it finally came down to dear little Aisling who was the last of the first years.

"Tonks, Aisling" The woman called out. Aisling stepped onto the platform, catching sight of all of the teachers sitting at their seats watching the feast. The woman placed the hat onto Aisling's small head, covering the sight of millions of kids watching and just seeing darkness. Then a voice came very close to her ear.

"Oh, yes. Some very hidden secrets deep within your mind, family secrets that you are not even aware of... Oh I see Slytherin strong in your blood, yes very cunning indeed. Oh but wait, the nobility and loyalty of a Gryffindor... What to choose though, wait Intelligence and Wit."

"RAVENCLAW!"